The Obama administration has condemned an attempted assault on the U.S. ambassador to Syria and other U.S. officials in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Dozens of supporters of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad targeted the U.S. officials’ motorcade as they headed to meet with an opposition leader and then trapped them inside the office where the meeting was held. In Washington, White House spokesperson Jay Carney accused the Syrian government of involvement.

Jay Carney: “These kinds of assaults against diplomatic personnel, including our ambassador, are unwarranted and unjustifiable. This is clearly a part of an ongoing campaign to intimidate and threaten diplomats attempting to bear witness to the brutality of the Assad regime. Day after day, Ambassador [Robert] Ford puts himself at great personal risk to support the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.”